Association canadienne de broderie, Inc.

Fibre Potpourri 2018 is Alberta's 37th annual needlecraft weekend featuring workshops and/or a stitcher’s retreat. It takes place at Red Deer College in Red Deer, Alberta. (formerly at Olds College) It is hosted in alternate years by the Edmonton Needlecraft Guild and the Calgary Guild of Needle and Fibrearts. Get all of the details on the Fibre Potpourri website.

Early-bird pricing until March 15, 2018!

Two day workshops and retreat are available, you are encouraged to register early to get your first choice. Registration closes April 15, 2018.

Friday Evening Social & Market

A market will take place at the Friday evening social. This is a chance for participants to sell fibre art related items. These items will be handmade by the seller or stash supplies that others can use.

Merchant Mall

The merchant mall will take place Saturday and Sunday. Confirmed merchants will be announced.

Yes, it's time to think about submitting an application for the Pauline Glover Educational Grant. This grant is available to any EAC member. The grant covers the fee for one of the EAC technique study courses plus the binder review. If you are planning to broaden your skills through one of these courses, take a few minutes to check the grant requirements - you could be the lucky recipient!

EAC offers technique study courses at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. For those interested in continuing their studies, the EAC also offers a teacher certificate program.

I have written a series of blogs on ‘Embroideries that Record History.' Obviously, this includes the Bayeux Tapestry but I have placed the sequence of the events of 1066 in an order which makes sense for the Norman victory. There are other related tapestries/large embroideries all of which record and explain 1066 and how this affected the development of the Western world. The others are contemporary.

I have recently undertaken the enormous challenge to learn the technicalities of drafting and publishing my blog with the assistance of a student volunteer and hope you will take the time to enjoy my new blog series of these historical tapestries/large embroideries.

I think that the topic of these tapestries will be of interest to stitchers and historians and also to the general public. I have always wondered why the Normans won the Battle of Hastings on foreign ground after having to transport every man, horse, armament and provision to get there. Now I know why.

What are samplers?

Samplers (the word comes from the French essamplaire meaning a work to be copied) were rough pieces of linen on which the stitcher practiced the various embroidery stitches. These swatches of material became her samples to act as a guide since she lacked books in which the stitches were drawn; hence the sampler word came into use.

Over the centuries, the sampler evolved and today the art form ranges from the humble efforts of young children to the sophisticated and artistic work of more mature women.

Why are they historically important?

Needlework and other textiles are usually passed down through the female side of the family. They document bonds between women who are closely related but whose surnames are rarely the same. In a patrilineal society documenting these connections is especially meaningful not only to the families but also to collectors who search for clues about women’s roles in the family.

Needlework commemorates births and deaths and gives clues to those studying family genealogy. Samplers can provide the researcher with a concept of family and the person’s position in it.

EAC offers members lots of opportunities to improve their stitching skills. If you have been working on your skills, have you thought about entering your works in the members' show at the annual seminar to be eligible for awards?

About EAC

The Embroiderers' Association of Canada (EAC) is a national non-profit educational organization whose purpose is to have a fellowship of persons who enjoy needlework and wish to learn and share their knowledge; and thereby to work towards maintaining higher standards of design, colour and workmanship.

Our aim is to preserve traditional techniques and promote new challenges in the Art of Embroidery through education and networking.